Forget cotton and linen: the world's largest canvases are actually made of wheat, corn, and canola. Yes, all you need is a few acres of land and a dozen wheelbarrows of seed, and you too can become a Michelangelo of the Maize, a Rembrandt of the Rapeseed. And for inspiration? A collection of field designs — some the work of entrepreneurial farmers and some the work of alleged extra-terrestrials (we'll let you decide). Whatever the case, these pieces are awe-inspiring in both their scope and intricacy. (Pictured: A crop circle near Mammendorf, Germany)
VCG/VCG via Getty ImagesPhoenix RisingAn aerial view of the mythical bird in a rapeseed field in Huangshan, Anhui Province of China on March 28, 2018.
Bethany Clarke/Getty ImagesThe Boy Who LivedA Harry Potter corn maze in York, England, purported to be the largest "Maize Maze" in Europe.Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesPoland's LabyrinthThis maze near Kobierzyce is made of 100,000 corn plants and, as of 2017, was the second biggest maze ever made in Poland.Heritage Images/Heritage Images/Getty ImagesMaking WavesCrop patterns in fields near Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.
The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty ImagesBlue and Red and YellowA corn maze in Frederick, Maryland, from 2012 depicts President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney holding an American flag and encourages people to vote.Heritage Images/Heritage Images/Getty ImagesBrass RingA crop circle near West Kennet, Wiltshire, England. The origins of crop circles have long been debated: some believe they're made by UFOs, while others believe they're just a hoax.PETER KNEFFEL/AFP/Getty ImagesHappily Ever AfterFor the 200th anniversary of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale collection in 2013, German farmers Corinne and Uli Ernst mowed an image from the children's story "Bremen Town Musicians" into their field of corn, hemp, common mallow, and sunflowers.
Heritage Images/Heritage Images/Getty ImagesSwirlingCrop circles in Stonehenge Down, Wiltshire, England.VCG/VCG via Getty ImagesEnter the DragonIn a rapeseed field in Anshun, Guizhou Province of China, broad bean seedlings are layered on top in the shape of the Chinese word "Long," which means dragon.KARL-JOSEF HILDENBRAND/AFP/Getty ImagesClose EncounterA crop circle near Raisting, Germany.
RJ Sangosti/Denver Post via Getty ImagesGridiron GrindThe Fritzler Corn Maze in LaSalle, Colorado, celebrates the Denver Broncos' Super Bowl victory in 2016.Heritage Images/Heritage Images/Getty ImagesEach One's UniqueA snowflake-shaped crop circle near Alton Barnes, Wiltshire, England.Nancy Nehring/Getty ImagesPatriotic PlowingThis corn maze in Bondurant, Iowa, depicts World War II battleship the USS Iowa.
Heritage Images/Heritage Images/Getty ImagesPut a Button on ItA crop circle near Avebury, Wiltshire, England.
